To Reaffirm Biblical Teaching on Man and Woman in the Church

WHEREAS, The Christian church throughout history has believed and confessed that God created humanity male and female in His image and with His blessing so that we might live in grateful obedience toward Him (Gen. 1:27– 28; 2:21–24; 5:2) and, by baptismal faith in Him, be His “chosen priests” serving Him (1 Peter 2:9–10; and see Matt. 4:10; Acts 2:18; Gal. 3:27–28); and

WHEREAS, God’s Word also makes clear that He created humanity as male and female so that we might, in distinctive and complementary ways as men and as women, serve and glorify Him (for example, in procreation and in certain daily responsibilities; see Gen. 2:18–23; Eph. 5:22–27; Col. 3:18–19; 1 Peter 3:1–7; Titus 2:1–8); and

WHEREAS, God’s Word teaches that although all believers are royal priests, God has also established the Office of Public Ministry (or “pastoral office” or “preaching office”) which is to be held only by certain men who are “above reproach” and “able to teach” (1 Tim 3:1−6; see also 1 Cor. 12:29; Titus 1:5−9); and

WHEREAS, There continue to be disagreements in the Synod regarding certain aspects of the service of women in the church, including their service in lay positions of leadership in the church that are not directly or necessarily involved in carrying out the distinctive functions of the pastoral office (e.g., congregational chairman or vice44 chairman); and

WHEREAS, In 2014 the Commission on Theology and Church Relations (CTCR) adopted CTCR Review of 2005 Task Force Guidelines for the Service of Women in Congregational Offices (2016 CW, pp. 181–187), affirming helpful aspects of the Guidelines (see, e.g., fourth resolved below) while also addressing certain deficiencies in this document (e.g., a lack of explicit discussion of the order of creation and a lack of attention to ongoing disagreements in the Synod regarding certain aspects of the service of women in the church); therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) reaffirm the scriptural teaching that all Christians, male and female, are members of the royal priesthood with the responsibility to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9); and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS reaffirm the scriptural teaching that only qualified men are to hold the pastoral office or carry out the distinctive functions of this office (1 Cor. 11:1–4; 14:33–35; 1 Tim. 2:1 1 1–14; Augsburg Confession XIV); and be it further

Resolved, That the LCMS commend the CTCR’s Review of Guidelines for study and discussion; and be it further

Resolved, That the three specific recommendations from the 2005 Task Force Guidelines for the Service of Women in Congregational Offices (pp. 21–22) be endorsed:

(1) “That the term ‘elder,’ in view of the use of this term in the Scriptures, in the history of the church, and in the Synod’s history, be reserved for that humanly instituted office in the congregation which has as its assigned duty the assisting of the pastor in the public exercise of the distinctive functions of this office” (2) “That lay assistance in the distribution of the elements in the celebration of Holy Communion, in order ‘to avoid confusion regarding the office of the public ministry and to avoid giving offense to the church,’ [1989 Res 3-10] be limited to lay men” (3) That, while situations exist in which the service of women in leadership positions in the congregation is desirable or even necessary, men be encouraged to continue to exercise leadership in their congregations even as they are encouraged to exercise their God-given leadership in a God-pleasing manner in their homes”

and be it finally

Resolved, That the LCMS, in convention, ask the CTCR, in consultation with the seminary faculties, to continue and complete (by the end of the triennium) a biblical, confessional, and historical study of the concept of the order of creation, examining its relevance to various questions about the service of men and women in the church and society today and also taking into account continued disagreements and discussion in the Synod about the service of women in certain lay positions and offices of leadership (e.g., congregational chairman or vice-chairman).

Enter Your Comment or Opinion

EXPLANATION OF SCORING MECHANISM

The scores for each Resolution are an attempt to predict which resolutions are likely to attract the most attention at the upcoming convention.

SCORE RANGE: 1-5, where 1 = low and 5 = high

SCORING CATEGORIES
L = Likelihood of adoption. For example, Commendation Resolutions are usually easy to pass, so would score 5.
S = Strengthens Doctrine & Practice. Is the Resolution faithful to Scripture and our Confessions? Does it entrench them?
F = Strengthens Walking in Fellowship. Does the Resolution enhance Synodical values?
P = Synod Priority. What is the priority of the Resolution for the Synod, especially with reference to S&F above?
X = Executable. Does the Resolution have a realistic goal? Can it be achieved with measurable results?

SCORE
The final score is based on weightings (see below). A low score means the Resolution is likely a pro-forma matter. A high value means it is likely to be contested.